Projecting All 12 NECBL Teams' All-Star Representative

The NECBL All-Star team rosters are always up in the air, all the way up to the day they come out. The rules state that all 12 clubs must be represented, so what follows are projections for the 12 players that are most likely to represent their teams at the All-Star Game on July 19th.

Plenty of teams will have three, four representatives at Goodall Park in Sanford, but here are the standouts who are locks to take part.

Danbury Westerners: Cody Acker, OF
The Westerners are in the cellar of the league, having already dropped 18 games and are seven games out of a playoff spot in the Southern Division. En route to a third consecutive losing season, Danbury ranks lost in ERA (4.95) and runs scored (67).

Cody Acker (.365/.397/.460), however, is well-deserving of an All-Star nod. The VCU rising senior is sixth in the league in average and already has six doubles in just 16 games. He's swiped seven bases and is on a five-game hitting streak (11-for-18).

Also in the running: N/A

Keene Swamp Bats: Zach Willeman, RP
Scouts flock to the All-Star Game to see good pitching, and Willeman fits that description. He is fifth in the league in strikeouts, despite only throwing 14 innings. He trails the leader by nine strikeouts, even though he has 18 innings less.

The Kent State product has more then twice as any strikeouts (27) as hits allowed (10) and after blowing a save in his first outing of the summer, Willeman has four saves and has a 9:1 K/BB ratio. His lockdown performance in the first half has him well deserving of a spot.

Also in the running: Garrett Christman, INF; Paul Covelle, RP

Laconia Muskrats: Timothy Viehoff, SP
This is a no-doubter, but expect Laconia to have plenty of representation this year. Viehoff has been unhittable for the Muskrats over five starts, as the Southern New Hampshire left-hander leads the league in wins, strikeouts and is second in ERA.

He's 4-0 with a 0.28 ERA, having allowed just one earned run on 13 hits over 32 innings of work. Viehoff's walked 14 batters, but has 36 strikeouts and is limiting opposing hitters to a just .120 average at the plate. Arguably a favorite to start the All-Star game for the North, Viehoff has had his spot on the All-Star team locked up since he got here.

Also in the running: Brian Mims, 2B; Deon Stafford, C; Braxton Martinez, 3B

Mystic Schooners: Willie Rios, SP

Mystic's run to the top of the Southern Division has been powered by the league's only pitching staff with a sub-3.00 ERA, and Rios has been at the center of that. He's overpowered opponents over five starts, piling up 30 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Walks (19) have been a problem, but the Maryland left-hander has worked out of jams and compiled a 1.88 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .190 against him as he has almost twice as many strikeouts as hits allowed (16).

Also in the running: Ben Ruta, OF; Aaron Hill, SS

New Bedford Bay Sox: Tyler Orris, SS

Orris is well-deserving of the starting role at short for the Southern Division, having established himself as one of the league's top hitters. The Millersville rising junior has an impressive .341/.430/.396 slash line and has knocked in 14 runs while swiping eight bases for the Bay Sox.

He's also drawn 15 walks to just five strikeouts, with his 3:1 BB/K ratio the best in the league. Orris also already has 31 hits in 24 games and had a 12-game hitting streak that lasted much of June.

Also in the running: Charlie Dant, SP; Jayson Sullivan, OF

Newport Gulls: Joven Afenir, OF
Newport, like Laconia, features a large selection of players who are all deserving of All-Star honors. However, Afenir has been one of the leagues best outfielders, both defensively and at the plate. As a member of the league's top offensive teams, Afenir has a slash line of .370/.459/.511 and has four home runs and 16 RBIs.

A left-handed hitter from Kansas, Afenir has the leagues second longest hitting streak this summer (13 games) and has homered in back-to-back games while driving in five runs. He's second in the league with 20 runs scored, third in hits (34) and total bases (47). His .459 on-base percentage also ranks fourth.

Also in the running: Shea Donlin, 2B; Drew Lugbauer, C; James Karinchak, SP; Brendan Spagnuolo, RP

North Adams SteepleCats: Dakota Edwards, SP
Offensively, the SteepleCats don't feature a player over .300, but their rotation features plenty of deserving candidates. Edwards, who threw a no-hitter earlier this summer, leads the staff with a 0.47 ERA having given up just one earned run in 19 innings of work.

In his first start of the summer, Edwards held Sanford hitless while walking a pair and striking out six for the first individual no-hitter since 2011. He hasn't had any run support in his past two outings, but he's allowed just eight hits over 10 innings and lowered his season ERA to 0.47. He has a 0.74 WHIP and opposing hitters are hitting juts .127 against.

Also in the running: Dalton Westfall, SP; Josh Garran, SP; Victor Sorrento, 1B

Ocean State Waves: Tim Lynch, 1B

Lynch has been dismantling NECBL pitching this summer. The Southern Miss product has gone yard seven times, first in the league, and is on pace for 14 home runs- the most in the league since 2012. An early pick to win the Home Run Derby, Lynch also boasts a slash line of .304/.387/.620.

He's drawn more walks (12) then strikeouts (11), ranks third in slugging (.620), first in extra base htis (15) and second in total bases (57). Lynch has also driven in 18 runs for the Waves and his .315 isolated power leads the league.

Also in the running: Ryan Blanton, OF; Ryan Gray, SP; Dylan Burdeaux, OF

Plymouth Pilgrims: Brent Rooker, OF
The Southern Division will look scary with Rooker and Lynch both in the lineup, as Rooker is hitting .407 with five home runs and a league-high 21 RBIs. A participant in last year's NECBL Home Run Derby, Rooker is in the top five in plenty of categories.

His five home runs rank third while his .659 slugging percentage and 13 extra-base hits are second. Rooker leads the leagues in runs scored (22), total bases (60) and hits (37). A second straight appearance in the home run derby would make sense as well.

Also in the running: Keven Pimentel, P; Mandy Alvarez, 3B

Sanford Mainers: Dalton Thomas, DH

Thomas has emerged as one of the league's top hitters, posting a .372 average that ranks fourth in the league while piling up 10 extra-base hits in just 19 games. The Arkansas-Little Rock product has had three hits in three of his last four games, raising his average 60 points in the past week.

His 46 total bases is fourth in the league as well. A knock on him in his tendency to strike out (22 strikeouts to just two walks) but it comes with the territory as a power hitter.

Also in the running: Shaine Hughes, 1B/3B; Cody Dube, P

Valley Blue Sox: Bryan Goosens, SP

We could continue the trend of hitters, but Goosens has been one of the league's top starting pitchers. Siena's opening day starter, Goosens also started Valley's season opener and spun a gem, striking out six over seven shutout innings.

He's continued to do that this whole summer, and has gone six-plus innings in all but one of his starts. The right-hander has made five starts and has 25 strikeouts to just four walks over 31 2-3 innings of work. Goosens opened the season with 14 shutout innings and has a 1.42 ERA that is sixth in the NECBL.

Also in the running: Manny De Jesus, OF; Garrett McCain, OF; Perry Kulaga, SP

Vermont Mountaineers: Thomas Roulis, 2B

Roulis is well-deserving of a second consecutive start at the NECBL All-Star Game. After missing the whole spring season with an injury, Roulis leads the league with a .467 average and already has 35 hits in just 20 games.

A third-year NECBL veteran, this would be his third appearance at the leagues prestigious event and second for the Mountaineers. Roulis has eight doubles, a .500 on-base percentage and a .613 slugging percentage, all marks that are near the top of the league.

Also in the running: Casey Brown, SP; Garrett Copeland, 2B; Adam Seibert, RP

Pollock flying high

Pollock dives in an attempt to catch a sinking fly ball against the Dodgers. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images 

Last season, Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder AJ Pollock was en route to an All-Star season before taking a pitch off of his right hand. 

It was an unfortunate outcome for Pollock, to say the least. But the former Vermont Mountaineers player picked up right where he left off in 2015, becoming the first Vermont alum to earn a spot on the National League All-Star team.

After he got word Monday from Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale, Pollock’s first call was to his dad.

“He was getting on his boat and he was just as excited as I was,” Pollock, 27, said during a conference call with reporters. “I was excited about who to call and he said it’s pretty neat that a kid from a small town in Connecticut could be on an All-Star team.”

Pollock’s first-half numbers were more than enough to earn the prestigious honor. He entered Tuesday night’s game against the Texas Rangers with a .303 batting average, 10 homers and 18 steals. He is also regarded as one of the game’s better defensive center fielders.

Pollock is the first former Mountaineers player and the eighth NECBL talent to be named an All-Star. For the seventh time in the last eight years, the summer league has had representation in the MLB’s Midsummer Classic.

“It’s great for him and the Mountaineers organization,” Vermont General Manager Brian Gallagher said. “He’s done a tremendous job to have the stats he has and it’s great to see his success, especially after the injury last year. This is great news for him obviously and us as well.”

In 2007, Pollock (then a freshman at Notre Dame) hit .348 with 15 doubles and 14 steals during 37 games. He led the league in doubles, won the Christopher Ashmos 10th Player award and was named to the All-NECBL Second Team.

“He was a hard worker,” Gallagher said of Pollock’s time in Vermont. “Every time he came out, he was working hard. He won a championship that year, and it was as a part of a team that bonded well.”

Pollock spent two summers in New England, the first with the Mountaineers and the second as the MVP of the distinguished Cape Cod Baseball League. He ranked in the top five of the league in almost every offensive category for the Falmouth Commodores, posting a .377 batting average, a .455 on-base percentage and a .556 slugging percentage.

“The NECBL was one of a bunch of platforms that really helped me in getting drafted,” Pollock said. “I always run into some people from Vermont, and the next year I went to the Cape. You meet a lot of great people, and hopefully I make some people in Vermont proud that I’m going to an All-Star game.”

Pollock, a reserve outfielder, is going with teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who will be starting at first base for the second consecutive year. They were also teammates on the Double-A All-Star game, and Pollock said he’s already asked Goldschmidt countless questions.

“I’m more pumped going with him because he’s a buddy of mine,” he said. “We’ve been together for a long time coming up through the system, and I went to the Double-A All-Star game with him. It’s pretty cool.”

Pollock was selected this time around based on the players vote. During the past few weekshe crossed paths with some rival players who told him they had voted for him. In the end,his selection was even better because he knew he’d gained genuine respect and supportfrom his peers.

“These are guys you play against every day and you’re trying to beat them,” Pollock said. “And that they have that high of respect for you is pretty cool. I think getting voted in by the players is a cool thing.”

The MLB All-Star Game will take place July 14 at Great American Ballpark, the home of the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch is at 7 p.m.

Midseason All-NECBL Team

Roulis has excelled for the Mountaineers. /Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

Just like that, we're at the midway point of the 2015 NECBL season. The All-Star game at Goodall Park in Sanford is under two weeks away, so that's my cue to go position-by-position and identify the best players through the first month of the summer.

I'm identify the best player at the various positions, as well as a starting pitcher. It's not an actual thing, of course, and I'll update it in a week or so with my picks for the 2015 All-Star game from each division.

To be eligible for a position, the player had to have started at least 10 games there.

Catcher: Drew Lugbauer, Newport Gulls

In Laconia's Deon Stafford and Ocean State's Chuckie Robinson, the NECBL has seen two excellent catchers both ranking in the top 15 in the league in average. Robinson has slugged six home runs and Stafford already has seven doubles.

However, I'm going with a more well-rounded player in Drew Lugbauer, who's established himself as the best defensive catcher in the league and isn't too shabby at the plate either. In 20 games he's hit .308 with a .992 OPS, 70 points higher then Stafford. He also has a pair of home runs and five more walks then strikeouts.

Lugbauer's defense, meanwhile, has been outstanding. He's thrown out a ridiculous 44 percent of would-be base stealers, much better than Stafford (25%) and Robinson (25%). He's caught 14 games behind the plate and has already thrown out 12 runners.

Honorable Mention: Deon Stafford, Laconia Muskrats; Chuckie Robinson, Ocean State Waves

First Base: Tim Lynch, Ocean State Waves

Lynch has already slugged seven home runs in just 20 games, and is just two away from tying 2014 MVP Blaise Salter's total from all of last year. He also doesn't fit the prototypical slugger stereotype as he's struck out just eight times in 86 plate appearances (9.3%).

He's hitting .315 and has already drawn 11 walks, and he has the third highest slugging among qualified batters. Lynch has good discipline at the plate as has excelled for the Waves since joining them midway through 2014, and is a big reason they've won nine of their last 10 games.

Honorable Mention: Shaine Hughes, Sanford Mainers

Second Base: Thomas Roulis, Vermont Mountaineers

Roulis has risen from an All-Star with Vermont in 2013 to a second team All-NECBLer in Plymouth in 2014 and he's continuing his climb this summer. After not playing this spring with Dartmouth after suffering an injury, Roulis has opened this summer at an incredible pace.

After arriving in Vermont just before the summer started, Roulis opened with a 10-game hitting streak and hasn't slowed down. He leads the league with a .466 batting average (34-for-73), 34 hits and a .500 on-base percentage. Roulis also ranks near the top with eight doubles, a .616 slugging percentage and 45 total bases.

Honorable Mention: Jake Lumley, Valley Blue Sox

Shortstop: Tyler Orris, New Bedford Bay Sox

Shortstop has been somewhat of a weak position this year, and Orris is a rung above the rest. In 20 games for the Bay Sox, he's hitting .333 with seven stolen bases. He put together a 12-game hitting streak earlier this summer and reached base safely for 15 straight games as well.

Patient at the plate, Orris has drawn 14 walks to just four strikeouts. His seven stolen bases rank fifth in the league and his 3.5 BB/K ratio ranks first in the NECBL.

Honorable Mention: Garrett Copeland, Vermont Mountaineers

Third Base: Mandy Alvarez, Plymouth Pilgrims

Just 10 players have made 10 appearances at third base this summer, as teams have shifted players around. Plymouth's Alvarez has only played in 11 games this summer, but what he's accomplished already is very impressive. He already earned NECBL Player of the Week honors, and has slugged three home runs and eight doubles.

Alvarez is hitting .455 (20 for his first 44) and has six multi-hit outings in his first 11 games. He has nine RBIs and already ranks second in doubles and fifth in home runs.

Honorable Mention: Braxton Martinez, Laconia Muskrats

Outfielder: Brent Rooker, Plymouth Pilgrims

First in slugging, RBIs, total bases, hits and runs, Rooker is enjoying a MVP-caliber season. Through 19 games, Rooker has dominated offensively to the tune of a 1.161 OPS and five home runs. He's been easily the best outfielder in the league with a .430 average, ranking only behind Roulis in the league. Rooker's .430/.465/.696 slash line is very impressive in his second year of the summer.

Last season, he finished in the top five in the league in home runs and competed in the home run derby. He didn't win, but could make a splash at this years All-Star game.

Honorable Mentions: Joven Afenir, Newport Gulls; Ben Ruta, Mystic Schooners; Garrett McCain, Valley Blue Sox

Starting Pitcher: Tim Viehoff, Laconia Muskrats

Quite a few starting pitchers have made a name for themselves this summer, but Viehoff distinguishes himself. The league leader in wins (4) and strikeouts (36), Viehoff's Muskrats are undefeated in his five starts.

All five of his appearances have been quality starts, and he's given up just one earned run in 32 innings. Along the way, he's struck out just about 10 batters per nine innings. He has a sub-1.00 WHIP and a 0.28 ERA along with a 4-0 record.

Honorable Mention: Keven Pimentel, Plymouth Pilgrims